Our Gemara on Amud Aleph delves into the intricate relationship between God and the Jewish people, particularly when the latter stray from their divine path:
תַנְיָא: ״בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם״, בִּזְמַן שֶׁאַתֶּם נוֹהֲגִים מִנְהַג בָּנִים – אַתֶּם קְרוּיִם בָּנִים, אֵין אַתֶּם נוֹהֲגִים מִנְהַג בָּנִים – אֵין אַתֶּם קְרוּיִם בָּנִים, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה.
"You are the sons of the Lord your God," indicates that when you act like devoted children and cleave to the Holy One, Blessed be He, you are called His sons. Yet, when you do not conduct yourselves in such a manner, you are not considered His children. These are the words of Rabbi Yehuda.
רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ אַתֶּם קְרוּיִם בָּנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״בָּנִים סְכָלִים הֵמָּה״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״בָּנִים לֹא אֵמֻן בָּם״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״זֶרַע מְרֵעִים בָּנִים מַשְׁחִיתִים״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״וְהָיָה בִּמְקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יֵאָמֵר לָהֶם לֹא עַמִּי אַתֶּם יֵאָמֵר לָהֶם בְּנֵי אֵל חָי״.
Rabbi Meir, on the other hand, argues that in both scenarios, the Jewish people are still referred to as sons. This is supported by the verse: "They are foolish sons" (Jeremiah 4:22), and it also states: "Sons in whom there is no faithfulness" (Deuteronomy 32:20). Additionally, it says: "A seed of evildoers, sons who deal corruptly" (Isaiah 1:4). Furthermore, it mentions: "And it shall come to pass that, instead of what was said to them: You are not My people, it shall be said to them: Sons of the living God" (Hosea 2:1).
At first glance, the dispute between Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Meir appears to revolve around the concept of unconditional love.
Maharal (Netzach Yisrael 11) provides deeper insight, explaining that Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Meir are not fundamentally at odds; rather, they are speaking from distinct perspectives. (In the realm of mysticism, halakhic disputes often serve to emphasize different facets of a concept. After all, each opinion is considered "words of the living God" (Eiruvin 13b). For instance, Gemara Rosh Hashana 34a dictates the use of a combination of sounds for the Shofar because the exact nature of a "Teruah" sound remains unclear—is it Teruah, Shevarim, or Shevarim-Teruah? However, Zohar (III:230b) interprets each sound as representing a distinct spiritual activation, corresponding to Avraham, Yitschok, and Yaakov.
Maharal elucidates that, from God's perspective, His unchanging wisdom renders His choice of the Jewish people and His oneness inseparable. Therefore, in God's eyes, the Jews always remain His children, regardless of their actions. However, when the Jewish people sin, they create a rift and distance themselves from God. Consequently, from their own perspective, they no longer resemble His children.
Maharal's notion of our intrinsic worthiness to God aligns with Abraham Maslow's principles of Humanistic Psychology, particularly the third principle:
- Someone's present functioning is their most significant aspect. As a result, humanists emphasize the here and now instead of examining the past or attempting to predict the future.
- To be mentally healthy, individuals must take personal responsibility for their actions, regardless of whether the actions are positive or negative.
- Each person, simply by being, is inherently worthy. While any given action may be negative, these actions do not cancel out the value of a person.
- The ultimate goal of living is to attain personal growth and understanding. Only through constant self-improvement and self-understanding can an individual ever be truly happy.
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